That’s a common excuse Faith to Foster ministry director Jenn Menn of Savannah hears when she shares her and husband TJ’s experiences as foster parents.

Her response: It’s not a good time for a child to be homeless, either. It’s not a good time for a child to be abused.

“We all have excuses about why we aren’t doing the thing that we should be doing,” said Jenn, 25, who along with her husband, fostered a total of 17 children since 2007, sometimes as many as six foster children at one time.

“But the need is so great.”

Just recently the Menns received a request to take in a newborn, even though they are currently fostering a 4-year-old, 3-year-old and 18-month-old. Jenn, never one to turn away a baby, told the agency she would take the newborn, too, if the agency couldn’t find another foster family.

Calls to 12 surrounding counties yielded no available spots in foster homes.

So now the 1-month-old has joined the Menns’ full, albeit happy, foster family.

“As long as we keep saying ‘Yes’ we will get placements,” Jenn said.

But the Menns’ foster experience comes with much more support than you might expect.

That’s because rather than foster solely through the Division of Family and Children Services, the Menns foster via Faith to Foster, a coalition of Chatham County churches that serve families and children in foster care.

In other words, they aren’t on this journey alone.

Jenn started Faith to Foster in June 2011 because she experienced firsthand how demanding foster parenting can be without support.

In Faith to Foster, local families within a participating church provide help to other families in their church who become foster parents through Faithbridge Foster Care, which provides the training, case support and resources and works with DFACs.

Faith to Foster support comes in various forms including babysitting; providing transportation, meals, material needs; advocacy within the courts; even baby showers.

For example, Southside Baptist Church, where the Menns belong, has a member who donated their attic to become a resource room to house donated items such as cribs, toys, clothing and more for Faith to Foster parents.

“If more people knew they could get this kind of support in this endeavor, more people might consider becoming foster parents,” Jenn said.

Faith to Foster will host a free informational meeting for prospective foster families from 6-7:30 p.m. May 7 at Southside Baptist Church. For more info, contact Jenn Menn at 912-925-5074 or jennifermenn@hotmail.com.

Recruiting more of her fellow Christians to become foster families has become oneof Jenn’s missions, along with personally providing a safe, nurturing home to heartbroken children — especially since there are about 350 children in Chatham County in foster care and only roughly 60 foster care families. A typical foster family takes one or two children.

“So that means more than half of the children in foster care in Chatham County are without a Chatham County foster home,” Jenn said.

Such children are either housed in children’s shelters or placed out of the county, usually in North Georgia, which means moving them away from their schools, friends and support system. Newborns without a foster home are often kept in the hospital longer.

Jenn points out that foster care is a government program following a Biblical command: to provide care for orphans and hurting families.

To those who say they can’t afford to become foster parents, the government foots most of the bill — including dental and medical insurance, baby formula, clothing and many of the other expenses.

Faith to Foster can help those families who are struggling financially, but still willing to foster.

To those who say they would become too attached to foster children, there is this.

You will become attached, says Jenn. You will grieve when the child leaves. But you will also be a part of helping a child grow and thrive. You will be a part of taking away a child’s pain.

And perhaps because of the love and safety you provide, you will save a life.